Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca will remain with the Demons from 2025 following widespread trade speculation surrounding the 2021 Norm Smith Medal winner.
Petracca recently aired his frustrations with the club after a difficult second half to his year, having been sidelined since June due to a spleen injury.
The Demons midfielder was said to be seeking a potential exit at Melbourne despite having a contract with the club for the next five years.
The club released a statement on Saturday evening confirming Petracca will remain in the red and blue, with Petracca offering some insight into his situation and affirming his future.
โOver the last few weeks, there's been a lot of speculation regarding my role at the Melbourne Football Club,โ said Petracca.
โThis has occurred as part of the end-of-year review process, in which I voiced my concerns as a leader, wanting better for our club, playing group, and fans.
โDuring this time, I have been in open communication with the player leadership group and club leaders to ensure we can work together to improve as a club.
โI make no apologies for wanting to better our club and contribute to our success both on and off the field.
โI love my footy - it remains my number one priority and always has been. As for my future at the Melbourne Football Club, I remain committed to playing for the red and the blue.โ
Petracca's words echo the stance the club has taken since reports surrounding the two-time best and fairest winner first ignited the speculation.
CEO Gary Pert said conversations with Petracca have helped the situation and Melbourne to move forward and learn from the experiences of all involved.
โAs we've stated all along, Christian is a much-loved member of the Melbourne Football Club and we value him immensely, not only as a player, but as a person and a leader,โ said Pert.
โOver the past month, we have been open about the fact that Christian has shared some thoughts on how we can improve and better ourselves as a footy club.
โThese conversations have made us a better organisation and we're grateful that Christian, like all our leaders, are willing to have the tough conversations to drive success.
โWe move forward from here, aligned, and steadfast in our commitment to achieving the success we know our AFL program is capable of.
โMost importantly, I know a lot of young Demons proudly wearing the number 5 on their back will be eagerly counting down the days until we see Christian back out on the footy field playing the game he loves.โ
Petracca was drafted to Melbourne in 2014 as the second overall selection and has gone on to play 189 games for the club.
